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redesigns

At the end of the year, I tend to feel like I didn’t do as many new designs as I wanted to … via GIPHY … so it’s good to take a look back and appreciate everything that has been accomplished! While my Jewel of the Month posts usually feature my newest designs, I also…

The last day of June is a good excuse for one more post about the month’s birthstone, the pearl. I made this one-of-a-kind pair of pearl earrings in 2008. The pearls are set in 18K yellow gold and accented by 83 points of black diamonds (there are 100 points in a carat). It’s a much…

For the past few years, “halo” settings for engagement rings have been popular — a halo being a ring of smaller diamonds set around a center stone. I see a LOT of them. Too many to get excited about, unless a friend (or reader) of mine is wearing one. In that case, of course, I’m…

April’s birthstone is the diamond, so it’s a good time to feature a custom engagement-ring redesign as the Jewel of the Month. This ring is particularly close to my heart because it’s now adorning the ring finger of my right-hand woman and branding chief, Eryn Patton. Before Eryn’s boyfriend Donnie popped the question, he and…

Last week, Miley Cyrus told talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres that she doesn’t like wearing her engagement ring because it’s not her style. I look like a fucking strawberry. #looklikemyfuckingmomdressedmethisam #prettysureihadthissamelookat6 A photo posted by Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus) on Jan 18, 2016 at 7:07am PST I was like, “Um, hello, Miley!!!!!!!” One of my specialties is…

Redesigning old jewelry is one of my favorite things to do. Why have pieces sitting in a drawer, unloved, when I can turn them into something you’ll want to wear every day? CLICK HERE FOR PREVIOUS REDESIGNS. I recently did a redesign for my gorgeous friend Amanda. Years ago, her grandmother gave her a small…

Dang! I wish Ginanne Brownell Mitic had spoken to me for this New York Times article about redesigning old jewelry. Redesigning is one of my specialties and I have interesting stories to tell. CLICK HERE FOR MY POSTS ON REDESIGNS. One of my first redesigns took a 60-point diamond (just over half a carat) and…

How’s THIS for a Super Bowl 50 ring? Today’s Valentine’s Day selection is the redesigned engagement/50th anniversary ring I made for my mother last year, using her original center diamond and baguettes. Obviously you can’t buy this particular ring but I can use this style of platinum setting for any custom engagement ring. If you’re…

When it comes to an engagement ring, the only thing that really matters is that the recipient loves it. Most of the wedding jewelry I design is custom-made. As a result, I’ve done all different styles of engagement rings to suit different tastes, ranging from an Asscher-diamond stone in a simple, classic pronged setting ……

I love to redesign old jewelry for customers and the mother of all redesign opportunities was literally handed to me in March. My gorgeous mother, BarbaraB, had to take off her engagement ring ahead of a minor medical procedure, only to find that it couldn’t be budged. The ring had to be cut off. BarbaraB…

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MEET WENDY BRANDES

Award-winning designer of fine jewelry inspired by women's history and pop culture. A former journalist who writes about jewelry, fashion, medieval history, news, feminism, dogs, cats and whatever else is on her mind. Blogging since 2007.